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January 2017

PARENTS GET CRASH COURSE IN GETTING KIDS THROUGH COLLEGE DEBT FREE

Joni’s parents knew two things: they didn’t want her drowning in student loan debt after college, and they didn’t want her to spend her 20’s in a low-paying job that she despised. Determined to head off this nightmare scenario, Joni’s mom signed up for a live class taught by author Jeannie Burlowski, whose book LAUNCH: How To Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward was released in January of 2017.

“That one class,” Joni’s mom says, “made all the difference in the world for our family.”

Today Joni holds a bachelors degree from Carroll University that she achieved with only minimal debt. The best part of her story, though? Following her Carroll University graduation at age 20, Joni headed straight to California for a dream job with Disney.

“Earning a bachelors degree with minimal debt by age 20 is actually not that difficult,” Burlowski says. “The key is that parents need to sit up, pay attention, and jump on multiple strategies early on that will allow their kids to succeed brilliantly in college, graduate completely debt-free, and move directly into careers they excel at and love.”

Burlowski stresses that the key is to start strategizing early, even if you can’t save a dime.

“The worst thing parents can do is wait until January of their kid’s junior year of high school to think about these things,” Burlowski says. “By that time more than 75% of the best, cleverest ways for students to get college paid for are gone — and you can’t ever get them back. I want parents of 6th and 7th graders reading my book and attending my live events.”

Here’s a small sample of strategies Burlowski recommends to parents:

FOR PARENTS OF BABIES

Sign up for the free college savings program available at Upromise.com. You’re going to buy necessities like groceries and drug store items anyway, right? Sign up for a free account at Upromise.com, register your grocery and drug store loyalty cards there, and without doing another thing a percentage of every dollar you spend at these stores will be funneled into a special account that you’ll be able to use for any student’s college savings, current college-related expenses, or payment of Sallie Mae® student loans. Over 21,000 grocery and drug stores participate, and no credit card is required. Grandparents and other relatives can do this too.

As early as possible, ask close relatives to reconsider gift giving. Grandma might decide to give her grandson a brightly wrapped package with a letter inside for each holiday and birthday. In the letter she tells him how much she loves him, what admirable good character she sees in him, how much potential she sees in him, how proud she is of what he’s accomplished the previous year, how excited she is to see him have a successful future, and that she has made a contribution to a fund where she’s saving for his college education. Any amount will help. To protect the child’s later eligibility for financial aid, Grandma should save this money in a 529 plan that she owns, with the child named as beneficiary.

Parents, be certain you are providing for your own retirement every single month. Financial planners are adamant on this point. If worse comes to absolutely worse you can borrow money to pay for college. You cannot borrow money to pay for retirement.

If you’re married to your child’s other biological parent — do everything you can to preserve and nurture that marital relationship. Not only is it healthy and stabilizing for your child to have her parents married to each other, but from a purely financial point of view: divorced and remarried parents tend to have a much harder time in the financial aid application and award process. By at least one financial aid calculation methodology, when a parent remarries, the new spouse’s income counts as one of the child’s household assets — greatly reducing the amount of financial aid the child will receive.

FOR PARENTS OF MIDDLE SCHOOLERS

Work with your 6th grader to do a focused summer community service experience, and then have him write about that experience in a scholarship application before he starts 8th grade. Are you stunned that there are college scholarships that are awarded to 8th graders? Brace yourself; there are even scholarships that are awarded to students younger than that.

Have your middle schooler start taking CLEP tests. Starting when your child is in 8th grade, go online to CLEP.collegeboard.org/exams/offered and view a list of every CLEP test available to students. Students who successfully pass CLEP tests earn real college credit for what they know – regardless of their age. Every single time your child finishes a middle school or high school class on one of these subjects, have him take the corresponding CLEP test and earn real, transferable college credit for what he’s learned. Not sure he knows enough to pass a CLEP test on the subject? Have him take a free CLEP practice test at practice-exams.free-clep-prep.com, and then if extra help is needed get free CLEP prep at education-portal.com/academy/get-credit.html.

FOR PARENTS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO HAVEN’T PLANNED AHEAD

Strongly consider community college.“I’ve spent 20 years helping students get into medical school through my work at getintomedschool.com,” Burlowski says. “Contrary to what people tell you, students who attend community college aren’t disadvantaged professionally in any way later on. If parents haven’t planned ahead of time how to pay for college, their kids can live at home under parental rules, attend community college for 4 semesters, work feverishly and save money, and then enroll in an expensive private university as a college junior.

Don’t jump to the conclusion that your local state university is your bargain choice. Use collegedata.com to check each school’s four-year graduation rate. If it takes six whole years for many students to graduate because classes there are crowded and hard to get into, that’s no bargain. Years five and six won’t be covered by financial aid, and so tuition bills are more likely to go on credit cards. “There are 3000 private colleges that may end up to be far better bargains,” Burlowski says. “I talk about those colleges to anyone who will listen.”

FOR PARENTS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Fill out the FAFSA form as soon as possible after October 1, every year that you’ll have a child in college the following fall. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you earn too much to get free money financial aid for college. You can make over $200,000 per year and still get free money. Put your kid in the front of the line to be considered for 9 separate federal student-aid programs, over 600 state aid programs, and most of the college-based (institutional) aid available in the United States by filling out the FAFSA form.

Always leave certain information off of the FAFSA form. For the question that asks: “What is the net worth of your parents’ investments, including real estate,” do not list the value of any (parent or child) retirement plans, pensions, annuities, or insurance policies (including whole-life insurance policies that may have cash value), and do not list the value of the home you live in. Many families leave thousands of dollars in financial aid on the table year after year because they include the value of these items when they answer that question. And if your family owns a rental property, lake cabin, or second home, don’t enter its market value. Instead, start with the property’s “quick-sale value.” (According to the IRS, “quick-sale value” equals 80% of the property’s fair market value, or what it could sell for quickly.) Then subtract any debt owed on it. That is the true value of this property for financial aid calculation purposes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

What others are saying …

"We only got around to doing a fraction of what Jeannie tells people to do, and we saved well over $50,000 on college costs. Our daughter earned a four year degree from an excellent private university at age 20, and she's now in California happily working her dream job at Disney. Get to one of Jeannie's live classes if you can. Buy a plane ticket if you have to!"
-- Liz and Tim Weatherhead, parents, Bloomington, MN

"Students who go through college without career direction are, as Jeannie Burlowski says: 'like archers who pull the arrow back on the bowstring, shoot, and then years later look around for the target.' Jeannie's resources help students to take aim early and fire a sure shot. Whether that's at medical school, or at some other worthy endeavor."
-- Dr. Paul Amble, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale School of Medicine
Chief Forensic Psychiatrist for the State of Connecticut

"Jeannie Burlowski has been instrumental in helping me to reach some of my highest academic goals."
-- Jordan Denitz, Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, University of California, San Diego Greek Scholar of the Year

"Just read a single tip on JeannieBurlowski.com and immediately made an important change on our daughter's FAFSA form that could save us tons. Thank you Jeannie!"
-- Amy Lively, author of The Neighborhood Cafe theneighborhoodcafe.net

"Jeannie didn't just help me get into my favorite college, she helped me figure out what I actually want from college. I attribute my top-notch scholarship, my new straight-A study skills, and my future aspirations to two afternoons I spent with Jeannie. If you want a great future, start with Jeannie Burlowski."
-- BradWalton, Fort Collins, Colorado

"Hi Jeannie! I am completely thrilled and excited with everything you say and do. I just made a 3 ring binder and downloaded every single grade level task for college prep, in addition to your blog articles. I am extremely passionate and committed to getting (our daughter) through college with the least amount of debt possible. I just wanted to say 'thank you' for this valuable information and how much I appreciate you as a college curator. You are the BEST and I look forward to your books when they are released."
-- Parent

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About

I am a full-time academic strategist, conference speaker, and author of the book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward.

My writing and speaking provide parents a clear, step-by-step checklist so they can set their kids up to succeed brilliantly in college, graduate debt-free, and move directly into careers they excel at and love.

For more than 20 years, I've helped students apply to highly competitive law, medical, business, and grad schools. I still do that from my website GetIntoMedSchool.com.

I am married, and my husband and I have a son and a daughter. We live in Minneapolis.